Gas trap



June 3, 1930. T. A. M. PETERSEN l1,761,743

GAS TRAP Filed Oct. 5; 1925 ll 23E-15 i- 26 .2i-@ i2: f8

#www

' vide a gas and oil se Patented June' 3, 1930 UNITED STATES vPATENT oFFIcE THORVALD 4A. M. PETERSEN, 0F LOS ANGLES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB T0 UNION TANK & PIPE CO., OF LO .ANGELESY, CALIFORNIA,

A COBPOBATIGN 0F C'ALIFBNIA.

GAS TRAP Application led October 5, 1925. Serial No. 60,640.

This invent-ion relates to improvements in gas traps or gas and oil separators for separating the gas from the oil delivered from a well before the oil is discharged into a plpe .5 line or into a storage tank. l

An object of the invention is to provide an improved gas and oil separator which is simv ple in construction and which is ecient in operation. l

Anotherl object of the invention is to proarator which may be readily disassembled or repair purposes.

' Another object of the invention is to provide anoil and gas separator consisting es- 15 sentially of a tank into which the mixed oil and gas is discharged andwhich has valve controlled outlets for the oil and gas with ioat means for actuating the valves and which has an indicator associated with the 2 float for indicating its position and thus indicating approximately the proportions of ga and;oil in the Huid delivered from the we l.

Another object is to make a gas trap having a cylindrical shell mounted with its axis vertical and having a float guide or track mounted at its axis and a oat loosely mounte'd to travel upon the float guide and having an anti-friction connection with track, so

having independent sleeve-valves for controlling outlets, said sleeve-valves being oo nnected to the float and to each-other by a universal joint construction or flexibly by pin joints.

Another object of the invention is to make a gas trap having a radial oil inlet and having a rough baille directly infront of the oil inlet for the oil to strike against, said baille being curved in plan and horizontally corrugated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment yof the invention, wherein: g

Figure 1 is a vertical lsection through the improved oil and gas separator,

that the!` float may be large and powerful and Fig. 2 is a view similar Fig. 1, being V nate similar parts throughout, the improved oil and gas separator consists of a container formed of a cylindrical shell 10 having a concaved bottom 11 arranged some 'distance above its lower end and a removable cover 12. Bv having the bottom 11 above the bottom of the shell 10, the 'portion of the shell therebelow acts as a support for the container. An inlet pipe 13 is connected to the container and serves toy admit the mixed gas 'and oil. In the cover 12 there is arranged a suitable ttingl4 to which a gas outlet plpe 15 is connected. At the bottom 11 there is arranged a similar fitting 16 to which an oiloutlet pipe 17 is connected, this pipe extending through an aperture formed in the portion of the shell below the bottom 11. A pipe 18 is disposed centrally .within the shell and has its ends slightly tapered to tit the fittings 14 and 16 so that the ends of the pipe are detachably connected to the gas outlet 15 and the oil outlet 17 respectively. T-

The pipe between the outlets 15 and 17 serves principally Vas a guidelor track at the vertical axial center of the shell 10 and the vfloat operated sleeve-valves and the float are A 23 are slidable on the pi e 18 and serve to cover the apertures 19'an 20 respectively so as to close them. Around the pipe 18 there is arranged a section of seamlesstubing 24, on which is built a container 25 serving as a float. This container is shown as having its side walls corrugated for strengthening purposes. On the bottom of the section of seamless tubing 24 there are formed lugs 26 which receive the ends of pins 27 on the lower sleeve 23 so as to pivotally connect the sleeve 23 to the float.l On the upper end of the section ofseamless tubing there are secured arms 28 carrying rollers 29 which roll uponjthe exterior surface of the pipe 18. Intermediate the arms 28 thereare formed lugs 3() which are spaced 90 from the lugs 26. Links 31 are pivotally connected to the lugs 30 and extend upwardly and are pivotally connected to pins 32 provided upon the upper sleeve 22. In this manner it will be readily appreciated 'that the two sleeves `are pivotally connected to the iloat and are rotatable upon axes at right angles to each other, thus forming'a universal joint connection between the sleeves-and float so that there will be no binding between the sleeves and the pipe 18. The float is very loose upon the track and does not contact with it except through anti-friction rollers.

Within the container immediately opposite the end of the inlet-,pipe 13 there is arranged a baille plate 33, and angle irons 34 are mounted upon the interior of the shell 10 and serve to support a screen 35." This screen is shown as being frusto-conical in form and has an inwardly extending flange 36 adjacent its bottom and an outwardly extending ilange 37 adjacent its top. Both flanges and the body of the screen are perforated. On the links 31 there are formed pins 38 which arev pivotally connected to thearms of yoke 39. A lever, 40 supports the: yoke 39 and extends through the shell through a stulling box 41 and carries an adjustable weight 42 on its outer end. A petcock 43 1s mounted upon the side of the shell adjacent the normal fluid level within the container. On the cover 12 there is provided a safety valve 44. Sand outlets 45 are connected to the bottom 11 and extend downwardly and out-r wardly therefrom in an inclined position. These sand outlets are normally closed. by plugs 46.

The operation and the advantages of the improved gas and oil separator are as follows: Oil and gas is discharged into the container through the inlet pipe 13 and strikes the baille plate 33. This baille plate serves to break up the oil, it being readily' understood that there usually are lumps or masses of taror extremely thick oil mixed with the oil which should be broken up. The breaking of the oil serves also to liberate the gas mixed with it. The oil falls tothe bottom of the container and the gas collects adjacent the top of the container. Any bubbles which are formed by the breaking of the oil by the baille plate 33 encounter the screen 35, whichl screen serves to break the surface tensions of the bubbles and separate or liberate the gas there-y from. TheA oil which collects at the bottom of the container enters the pipe 18 through f l the apertures 20 and passes outwardly through the outlet 17 The gas is withdrawn from the container by passin through the apertures 19 and passing into t e outlet pipe charged from the inlet pipe 13 is such that the gas is excessive, the fluid level within the container will fall, causing the float to lower and slide the sleeves 22 and 23 downwardly upon the pipe 18. The downward movement of the sleeves and the lloat is limited by means of a collar 47, and when in its lowermost position, the sleeve 23 completely covers and closes the apertures 20. In such position the sleeve 22 completely opens or uncovers the apertures 19 so that the excess of gas can readily escape therefrom. In a similar man ner if the mixture of oil and gas admitted through the inlet pipe 13 is such that the quantity of gas is small, the fluid level will rise, lifting the iloat and causing the sleeve 22 to completely cover the apertures 19, and cause thesleeve 23 to completely openthe apertures 20. Under such conditions the gas pressure within the container quickly builds up and serves to force the'oil through the apertures 20, the pipe18 andinto theoutlet 17.

of the container. By noting the position of the arm, the relative proportions of the gas and oil in the incoming fluid can be approximately determined. 'This indicator can be calibrated by opening thepetgcock 43, and when the fluid or oil is even withthe petcock,

the positionof the arm will be noted. Subsequently,in operation when the ypetoock 43 is closed, the height of the oil in the container can be ascertained by the lposition of the lever 40 relatively to the notedv position.

An important feature of the construction is that air will be entrapped between the plug 21 and they apertures 20 when the separator is originally started in operation. This air acts as a cushion at theend of the stream of oil within the outlet pipe 17, so thatif for any reason something should occur'to produce water-hammer in the outlet pipe 17, the pipe will not be destroyed but the shock will be taken up by this air cushion. The'sand outlets 45 are .preferably inclined in the position showncon the drawing. I find that if the outlet is vertical or is radial with respect to i the center of curvature of the con'caved botsaid pipe and movable thereon, and means 'ture of the construction `over othei` y tically complete tearing down of the con# 1 torn 11, the sandwill tend to. bridge over the outlet. In the inclined position, however, this bridging tendency of the sand is greatly-reduced and it is'practically possible at alltimes to remove the sand from within the container.

' It will be noted that the improved construction permits the device to be readily disassembled for purposes of repair. By removing the removable cover 12,` the screen 35 can be readily taken out ofg'the container, as it ymerely rests upon the angle irons .34. Also the pipe 18 may be liftedout ofthe fitting 16 and the float, sleeves and linls will also come out with it.v This is an important feaand is advantageous vgas traps which requirea pracstruction in order to repair any part.

The baille plate'33 is shown separately in Figs. 4 and 5 and is constructed of-a curved plate 50 concentric with the shell 10 and having longitudinal corrugations 51 as shown in Fig. 5. vThe baffle plate is held spaced the proper distance from the shell by means of legs 52 having boltsj53 extending through the center of the legs and through the shell, the spacing of the baiile' plate -from the shell may thus be accomplished by the insertionl or removal of washers 54 between the legs and the shell. This type of baiile' latefunctions to spread the oil and materia ly aid the separation ofthe gas therefrom.

From the above it will be appreciated that an improved gas trap is provided, which is simple in construction and which is eiiicient in operation. v y f It will vbe understood that various changes may be made in the detaill of construction without departing from the spirit or scope-of the invention as deined by the appended claims. i

I claim: 1.v An oiland gas separator comprising a. container, means forming an inlet to the container, means forming gas and oil outlets from the container adjacent its top and b'ottom respectively, a pipe disposed within the container having its ends connected to the outlets, there being apertures formed in the pipe adj acentv its top and bottom respectively, sleeves slidable upon the pipe adapted to close said apertures, a float arranged about pivot-ally connecting the oa't to the sleeves so that.the sleeves may be actuated thereby, said sleeves being pivoted for rotation upon axes at right angles to each other so that a universal connection is provided between the sleeves. l

. 2. A gas trap comprising a shell having 'a removable cover, means providing anA inlet to said shell, means from said shell adjacent the ottom thereof, means providing a gas outlet from said shell in said removable cover, a. tube having a partition therein and having its ends detachably connected to said outlets, there being apertures in said tube above and below said partition, sleeve valves for opening and closing said apertures, a Heat, and arms connecting the float to the sleeve valves, there being pins on said arms land acounter-balance weight pivotally mounted upon the side of the shell having an arm provided with a fork, the arms of which are slotted from their outer ends inwardly so as to receive said pins through the outer ends. y

3. In a gas trap, Va screen comprising a frusto-conical part, an inwardly extending flange extending'inwardly from adjacent the bottom of said frusto-conical part, and an outwardly extending flange extendin outwardly from adjacent the top of said rustoconical part, said .part and lianges being-perforated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. v

THORVALD A. M. PETERSEN.

providingla liquid outlet 

